The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for attenuating radiation. More particularly, the invention relates to the field of radiation shields composed of a polymer, a magnetic material, and an attenuating material wherein the attenuating material is dispersed throughout the polymer.
A variety of systems have been used to protect individuals and equipment from the harmful effects of radiation. For example, inventions in the medical fields have utilized heavy and relatively stiff lead shields placed upon patients and medical workers to protect against the harmful effects of medical processes that emit radiation for analysis and treatment.
In nuclear power plants, the amount of radiation received by personnel is closely monitored. When radiation exposure doses reach a certain level, personnel are forced to cease working for a period thereby causing significant down time. A traditional solution to the problem of radiation exposure within nuclear power plants has been lead wool blankets or lead sheets. Lead wool blankets are used to temporarily or permanently make shield walls wrap pipes and, other pieces of equipment which emit radiation, or house equipment such as valves, etc., thereby limiting the intensity of radiation that escapes from the sources. Lead presents an environmental issue and as such is difficult and costly to dispose of. Polymer-based radiation shields have also been used in nuclear power plants. Like lead blankets, traditional polymer-based radiation shields are secured to the objects they are shielding such as by clamps, hooks or ties. Both lead blankets and polymer-based radiation shields are often cumbersome to transport and time-consuming to install and remove.
While various cumbersome methods and systems are known for protecting against harmful radiation, there is a need for an effective quick and easy to install system and method for protecting individuals from the harmful effects of radiation.